Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated
Hunter McGrady also posed for the 60th anniversary issue, just weeks after welcoming her second child, a daughter, in March.
Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue saw the return of some OG cover stars -- and a special newbie too.
In honor of the franchise's 60th anniversary issue, Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton and Hunter McGrady all made their return to the magazine, sizzling in spreads of their own before joining this year's SI class for a joint cover.
Gayle King rounded out this year's cover stars, making her Sports Illustrated debut at 69, something she said she "never" thought would happen -- until now.
King was surprised with her cover spot reveal during a live on-air segment of CBS Mornings Tuesday, alongside McGrady and Upton, who handed her her issue. The moment came as a surprise to the longtime journalist, who was initially told she was just going to be featured inside the magazine.
Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated
"Ahhh! I'm on the cover," King screamed with excitement, holding the issue. "They told me I was just going to be on the inside! It's not a dummy cover? This is going to be on the newsstands? Oh my God! Oh my God!"
.@SI_Swimsuit cover stars @KateUpton and @HunterMcGrady tell CBS Mornings why being part of the legendary magazine has long been a dream for both of them, helping them find confidence and power: “It’s surreal every single time.” pic.twitter.com/LzJJidSMI8
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 14, 2024 @CBSMornings
She continued, "I'm floating, I'm floating, I can't believe it. Never in my wildest dreams! Never, ever, ever."
The "legends" edition covers saw the foursome joined by a few other SI icons, including Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, last year's cover star, Martha Stewart and a few other change makers like Megan Rapinoe, Winnie Harlow and more.
While they didn't pose in their swimwear, the group got together off the beach to pose in their best evening wear, giving the anniversary edition a special twist not commonly show by the mag.
Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated
Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated
"I can't get over it," King said, after getting a look at the final covers. "They said, 'What about re-touching?' I said, 'I really don't want re-touching. I don't mind if you take out a couple of dimples in the thighs, however.'"
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 14, 2024 @CBSMornings.@SI_Swimsuit is celebrating a huge milestone: its 60th anniversary!
Iconic covers have influenced generations — and this year, editor-in-chief @MJ_Day, models Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks and our very own @GayleKing are reflecting on the issue’s evolution. pic.twitter.com/euvgNsEa50
The CBS Mornings co-host continued, "This is the thing about MJ, cause I said, 'Oh, now I have to starve myself. She goes, 'Nope. we don't want you to do anything.' That's what I thought the beauty of that is. We don't want you to do anything you don't normally do. So I actually had a cheeseburger the day before."
While King said she was "so self-conscious" about how she would look in her swimsuit, she said both the SI editor, MJ Day, and renowned photographer, Yu Tsai, made her feel comfortable.
"He made me feel like I was Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one," King added of Tsai, in a separate sit-down with People. "I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious."
As for Teigen, the cover shoot marked her first time back in the mag in 10 years, while Upton's last time in SI's swimsuit issue was 2017. For McGrady, the moment was equally special, as it saw the model suit up just weeks after welcoming her daughter, Ava, with husband Brian Keys.
"This has been my dream forever," McGrady gushed, while speaking to King Tuesday about gracing the cover after first starting with the mag in 2016. "As a plus-size woman, I'm all about representation, but my biggest message is we're so much more than our bodies. Yes, this is me and my body on a cover of a magazine, but I'm so much more than that. And it's exciting to finally be put on this huge platform in that way."
The 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is on newsstands May 17.
